First time writing this pairing. Wrote it in like.. a day :\

-Disclaimes- Kishimoto (c)
KakaYama / KakaIru + SasuNaru / NaruSasu


Yamato smiled. Whether it was sarcastic, self-loathing, or out of astonishment, was unknown.

'I knew I wouldn't get everything I wanted,' he thought to himself. 'It doesn't happen. Life doesn't work that way.' He shifted in his seat against the bark of the thick tree branch, exercising his effecting hiding tactics.

'Though it would have been nice if it had.'

The captain watched as Kakashi and Iruka shared a passionate 'welcome home' kiss, hidden in the shade of an adjacent tree, off the side of the road, next to a wall, where no one could easily see them. Iruka didn't like PDA. Kakashi didn't really give two fucks and a shit.

Or maybe he did, but it didn't matter. Who knew what the jounin wanted? Really wanted. Wanted, in general; not in the heat of the moment when he was buried deep inside you and whispering, between wet kisses against your neck, that he wanted you. All of you. Every piece.

Yamato was twenty-six years old. Kakashi was thirty. That fact added to the list of how he was sure it wouldn't have worked out.

"Something wrong Captain Yamato?"

He didn't 'flee the scene' at the sudden voice of his teammate. One, it would have been childish; and two, it would leave Naruto alone to see for himself and believe whatever misguided conclusions that crossed his mind. That would accomplish nothing, if not any less favourable outcomes, so he stayed.

True enough, Naruto did see the pair behind him, and Yamato watched patiently as his young lips formed an 'O.' "Are you okay?," the blond said, finally.

Yamato laughed. "Why wouldn't I be?" Really. Why wouldn't he be?

Naruto frowned, sort of disappointed to have his knowledge of his team captain to be put through a test. "No matter how thick you make the walls, I'm still in the building." He said as-a-matter-of-fact-ly. "And you're still limping in the morning. Even if you use that lame excuse to be rear-lookout."

The brunet was genuinely more or less embarrassed, but its evidence on his face faded quickly. "I'm fine." His whole demeanour was plastic for now, but he knew it'd sink in later and his heart would tell him then how affected he truly was. Sometime later.

"If you say so." Naruto turned to jump off the tree branch, but didn't leave quite yet. "You know, Captain Yamato, Sasuke's out there." Naruto started, and Yamato listened. "He's out there. He was with that snake, Orochimaru for three years and I'm sure he's met a lot of people since then too." he continued wistfully. "His teammates respect him. That girl he travels with definitely has eyes for him; he's an attractive man." Yamato heard the smile on his lips, despite the fact that the boy was facing away from him. "The shark-looking one with the big sword seems to think so too. They care about him.

"The ending hasn't been written yet." Yamato raised his eyebrows. "Even how far we are now… it could still be me." Naruto tightened his fist out of habit, though it did nothing to hinder Yamato from thinking just how much Naruto had matured, compared to the beginnings of when they'd first met. For Naruto to speak this way, it was becoming easier to mistake him for an adult. "And I'm gonna put my everything towards that." The younger ninja disappeared through the leaves with a swish.

Yamato didn't bother looking to see if his senpai and Iruka had desisted. He just kept his eyes straight ahead and began to walk.

Black shoes kicked up a little dust on the road. He was thinking, compartmentalizing, reflecting; reflecting on what truth and optimism had come from Naruto. His lips curled with some pride, for he'd expect nothing less of the young man, with big dreams.

A breeze blew a few leaves off some nearby trees, and the brunet watched as they danced around before falling to ground he walked along. They'd fall, crumple, tear, but then a new wind would pick them up somewhere down that road, and they'd dance again. Whether on their own, or with another, they'd have that next dance.

Yamato looked to the sky and deeply inhaled that next gust of cool air.

'The ending hasn't been written yet.'

O w a r i ~ ?


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